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Torque Bow
The Torque Bow is a deadly weapon that is wielded exclusively by the elite Locust warriors, the Theron Guards and occasionally by the higher ranking Palace Guards. It is quite distinct among Locust-made weaponry. Functionally, the Torque Bow is muzzle-loading coilgun in the shape of an archaic crossbow, that fires a reactive explosive projectile with electromagnetic force. The Torque Bow fires an Imulsion-fueled, explosive-tipped, armor-piercing projectile that resembles a large arrow (or rather, a Crossbow Bolt). The projectile has a timed fuse which is designed to explode a half-second after penetrating a target, blasting it apart from the inside - almost invariably causing critical injury for the unfortunate target (if not instantaneous death). The weapon's name comes from its unique tandem launch system; in addition to the coilgun giving the projectile motive force, the Torque Bow also uses a small motor to apply rotational force to the projectile - ergo increasing kinetic energy transferred to the target. The vanes on the top and bottom of the Barrel control the tension of the motor and are what actually launches the bolt through the coil mechanism. When the trigger on the Torque Bow is pulled, an electric motor inside begins revving up and providing power, while said motor also applies rotational force. Onlookers will see a brightening glow from inside the weapon as the magnetic coils warm up. Whilst the Torque bow can fire at any time, in order to achieve the desired "lethal" penetration level and long effective range, the user must charge the weapon as appropriate; too little power, and the Torque Bow's arrow will fail to penetrate. In order to protect the coilgun system from explosive overloads, keep the weapon's size down, and keep heat buildup from being an issue, the Torque Bow has a fail-safe system where it will automatically fire a bolt with maximum power if it charges too long. Overview The Torque Bow is a unique weapon, one specifically designed for Locust Elites - its advanced design shows, as it is far more dangerous and far more utilitarian than many Locust Weapons. As a projectile weapon, it is capable of instantly dispatching a humanoid target; even a heavily-armored Gear is no match for the Torque bow's savagery. Its range and accuracy, provided a full charge, is phenomenal, and unlike other explosive weapons, the Torque Bow maintains this accuracy even over extreme ranges. It is also a viciously effective close-combat weapon; the large, scythe-like blades on the Torque Bow's forward vanes enable it to be used in devastating melee attacks, making the Torque Bow second only to the Chainsaw in melee punch. The Torque Bow's primary weakness is its low ammunition capacity - it holds but a single shot, and is rather slow to reload. A secondary, but far more crippling weakness, is that the motor and magnetic coil take time to charge - an uncharged (or undercharged) Torque Bow Bolt will fall short or fail to penetrate the target, resulting in shots that generally fail to kill the intended recipient. When charging, the Torque Bow emits a distinctive whining (from the magnetic coils) and whirring (from the rotational system), giving an audible clue to all nearby that a Torque Bow is being charged. Additionally, a charged Torque Bow emits a bright light from the inside of the barrel as the weapon charges, making an easy target for foes, especially in dark locations. It is worth noting that the Torque Bow eschews the electric-optical sights used by the Lancer and Hammerburst and has no iron sights, Instead using a laser sighting device to target. This device is a mixed blessing; It makes it easy to see how charged the weapon is, allowing one to used undercharged shots to fire around corners or obstacles, and allowing accurate targeting in mid-ranged firefights. However, this targeting system takes time and patience to master, which can generally result in a whole lot of missed shots if misused. This sighting system necessitates precision aiming for quality shots, which means that the firer must expose himself, barrel glowing brightly, to fire a shot off, and furthermore, has a time limit to do this in due to the Torque Bow firing automatically if fully-charged. Because of this, the Torque Bow is a weapon that takes time and practice to make the most of - and a weapon whose users are favored targets for snipers and marksmen using Hammerbursts. Technology The Torquebow is a Locust weapon. The elite Theron guards are the Locust that use it as they consider it a more honorable weapon. (Plus, it requires more skill and yields more "bang" for your success when used properly.) The Torque Bow, though a thoroughly modern weapon, makes numerous nods to archaic weapons throughout human history. The Hollow of the planet was used as a dumping ground for hundreds of years by humanity, and the Locust salvaged much of this. The Torque Bow is cobbled together from spare parts, it became a favorite for hunting food while in the Hollowhttp://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showpost.php?p=7826629&postcount=83-- CliffyB on the Torque Bow, Offical Gears forums] The design itself is reminiscent of a crossbow, with the large vanes and distinct magnetic acceleration system of the Torque Bow only adding to this. A natural progression of applying a technologically-advanced means to improve an ancient design, the Torque Bow's unique setup truly differentiates it from other weapons, and shows a level of sophistication amongst Locust Technology rarely seen, as most Locust equipment is designed to be brute-force-emphasized and reliable above all else. Use The Torque Bow should be used in any mid to long range fights. It fires a highly explosive arrow round. Once the arrow makes contact with a surface, it will explode within seconds. In the last act, this weapon is recommended, as it can scatter the Kryll that surround General RAAM. This weapon, when found, should be picked up as it is extremely useful in almost every situation. A suggested way of firing when fighting RAAM is to hold the right trigger before aiming, so one doesn't have to wait while out of cover to charge. If you hold the fire button long enough, you can make the arrow explode right when the Kryll are going back to RAAM, dealing RAAM damage, and scattering the Kryll at the same time. In Gears of War 2, a torque bow arrow will cause instant decapitation upon hitting the head of an enemy. The arrow will carry away the victim's head and pin it to the next surface it hits, before exploding. Head shots with this weapon are extremely powerful and are able to kill many bigger Locust such as Boomers, Grinders, and Kantus with a single shot to the head, which usually takes around 2-3 shots with the Longshot Sniper Rifle even if you achieve a Perfect Reload. In Gears of War, the Torque Bow could kill almost any enemy in one shot. This included the Berserker (while it's vulnerable), the Boomer and a Reaver but only in Gears of War one. It takes more then one arrow to kill each in Gears of War 2, except the Berserker since there weren't any. In Horde Mode, the torque bow should always be aimed at the head of Boomers, Kantuses, and much more powerful foes. Multiplayer In Multiplayer, this weapon is extremely powerful. If used correctly, it can kill any enemy in a single shot. Even if the reload is missed but shot correctly, this weapon can still take out any enemy. However, this weapon should be used with extreme caution, as the targeting system is very confusing at first and can lead to suicides often. A disadvantage to the user of this weapon can be their online position in a match. The Host of a match can fire this weapon as they would in local single player, though people connecting to this host will have to deal with latency. Players extremely skilled with the Torque Bow are capable of firing an arrow around corners by firing the arrow before it is fully charged, bouncing it off one player and into something behind them, or sticking the arrow on top of thin cover just above a crouched player. This last skill shot is extremely tricky, but if pulled off can lead the covered player to believe they are safe, since the arrow hit the cover and not them, before killing them. Another technique, which does not require as much skill but is less likely to succeed, is to shoot the ground next to a player behind cover at piercing velocity. With an active reload shot, this move can sometimes kill the player from full health in one hit. In the Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Demo, it was shown the Torque Bow had its own execution move. The player puts the weapon's blade on the victim's neck, holding the head in place and brings their foot down onto the head, decapitating the unfortunate downed player. In Gears of War 2 if you shoot an enemy in the head it will count as a headshot also, when you shoot the head, the head gets decapitated with the arrow still attached to it, and when it hits the nearest object, it will explode. The Torque Bow is a great all around weapon against Locust enemies in Horde. With its long range and ability to stick to opponents it can easily down tougher enemies such as Boomers, Grinders, Bloodmounts, and Maulers. It is not recommended you use it against the Kantus priest enemies, though, they will often see it charging and will roll to the side when it is fired at them. Make every shot count because ammo is limited and hard to find until the later levels where there are many Theron Guards and Palace Guards. Changes in Gears of War 2 In terms of appearance, the Torque Bow looks very similar to the original with an improved, more detailed look from the new graphics engine. One noticeable difference is that an arrow is actually shown loaded in the weapon because a tip is shown sticking out of the end of the chamber. The sound effects for the Torque Bow are also mostly the same. The weapon's charging, firing, and melee sound effects are all identical if not slightly enhanced. The arrow piercing and explosion sound effects are also similar. One slight difference is that swinging the Torque Bow will generate the blade-slicing sound effect regardless of whether it actually connected with a surface or target. The firing mechanics are also extremely similar. This time, however, the reticule turned from a small circle to a new, rectangular design. This makes it much easier to see when the Torque Bow is charged with enough force for the arrow to penetrate a surface. The Torque Bow seems to take slightly longer to charge in the sequel, however. One new interesting feature is that the Torque Bow's perfect active reload now gives it the ability to automatically release the arrow as soon as it is charged enough for penetration. This allows for much greater precision, letting the wielder simply track a target while the bow shoots the arrow on its own. The new Torque Bow is also capable of making a 'headshot', piercing and decapitating the head if it is shot correctly. It should be noted that the arrow will explode even if it does not pierce, making it a makeshift grenade of sorts, and that if it remains at its fully charged state for too long, it will fire on its own, whether you want it to or not, so watch where you aim. If you do shoot an arrow and it pierces the head, the arrow will keep going until it hits someing. Giving the player a chance for two kills with one arrow. There was a major change in the damage the gun does, as in Gears of war 1 if the arrow could kill anything from Boomer to a Reaver in one shot. In Gears of War 2 the damage was lowered, and given the ability to get head shots. Trivia *The Torque Bow was originally going to be given to the Locust Hunter, but was later given to the Theron Guards to make them more deadly. The Hunter was then given a Gnasher Shotgun and would become the Grenadier. It was also going to be wrist-mounted, but this was changed for animation purposes. *In multiplayer if the Torque Bow is wielded by a COG the aiming beam is blue. When wielded by a Locust the beam is red. *In Gears of War 2 characters use terrified dialogue when struck with a Torque Bow bolt, in reaction to their inevitable demise. *In Gears of War 2, a strange, and as of yet unknown, glitch will cause a Torque Bow arrow to get "stuck" in the player's character model. It will not explode, or even smoke, and appears to remain in place until the player dies. It will not appear to other players. *In Gears of War 2, the Torque Bow has two executions that can be used against your enemies. The first one being a simple "nudge" with the weapon by hitting B on a downed enemy. The second one is done by hitting Y on a downed enemy, which will make your character bring the bow down to the enemy's throat, revealing a blade. He then kicks the opponent's head onto it, brutally decapitating them. *In Gears of War 2 the Torque Bow can get a headshot and will continue after hitting the head and explode after hitting a surface, making it possible to chain enemies. *In Gears of War, it is possible to survive a torque bow on hardcore by diving just before it explodes. *In Gears of War 2 you can avoid the splash damage from a torque bow shot by chainsawing someone immediately after the shot, however an opportunity like this is rare but can save your life if you get lucky. *The Torque Bow seems to be inspired by the Mine Thrower from Resident Evil 4. The only difference between the weapons is the Mine Thrower doesn't need to be charged and has a scope. This isn't too far fetched an idea as Gears of War's creator, Cliff Bleszinski has stated his influence from Resident Evil numerous times. *The Torque Bow appears to have a 'dormant' mode in which the limbs of the bow are down as if the Torque Bow is charged, but it actually isn't. This mode is visible when the weapon is on the ground, on a players back, or in the display of your HUD when having it drawn. References Torque Bow Category:Gears of War 2 weapons Category:Locust Horde